Pages

Monday, 17 September 2012

Gathering Rays

Recent posts by Lynne of Practical Paralegalism and Sheila of Style Agent 909 in their amazing ruched / gathered dresses reminded me of this one. On a day that was grey inside and out, I had an important good-bye to say, and wearing gathers and rays felt fitting.

scarf: Charming Charlienecklace: a gift from my mother, similar to this onedress: Northern Reflections, consignment (new with tags)

I was really glad to have the opportunity and ability to express my appreciation to a person whose presence in my life over the past 10+ years has made an incalculable difference. It can be an oddly challenging thing to do when it's not structured or built in to the kind of relationship one has.

Have you had - or missed - opportunities for honourable leave-takings with helping and service professionals in your life? I'm thinking of the particular nurses, teachers, receptionists, doctors, hairdressers, physio / massage / mental heath therapists, lab technicians, mentors, delivery people, etc. we come to know who go about their days with a basic orientation of kindness, respect, and dignity, and sometimes only a glimmer of what a difference they make.

Though the connection was less primary than the one just ending, and a couple of years have passed, the pharmacy staff who prepared my IV meds and supplies for 10 months, and the delivery person who brought them to me every week when I was so ill, come to mind. Those people were awesome. While I'm pretty sure I told them so at the time, it's something I imagine they don't get to hear enough of: that how they do what they do matters so much.

watch: Stuhrling Tuskegee Skylancer

Feeling extra gratitude today for everyone who worked with me to (re)build this life I have, and those few who stuck by me through it all. Further to the theme of making the invisible visible, I'm participating in Visible Monday over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style.

What a beautiful post! I was very moved by your appreciation of what others have done for you, and as you say, many of them were probably not even aware of their contribution to your welfare.

It brings to mind a little something that I will tell you about my Gorgeous Huband. He doesn't have a very glamorous job, he just delivers the mail to businesses and as such, he comes into contact with receptionist and "front line" staff. He has taken to giving out mints when he brings in the mail, and it really does "spread sunshine" to an otherwise mundane interaction. People say that they miss him when it is his day off, and I can well imagine that they do. Isn't it amazing what the tiniest of gestures can do?

Much love from England,Rosemary from www.foreveronthecatwalkoflife.blogspot.com

I think it's so important to acknowledge people who have made a positive difference in your life, especially when they are "just doing their job". Not everyone in the helping or service profession provides the same level of kindness and caring, and when you are in need of their help, for them to go the extra mile makes such a difference. I love the shaping on the dress; you look very elegant!

Congratulations on your restored health and new life! May you continue to live in health and love, Amber. I'm sure that, at the time, you got the message across to your service professionals how much you appreciated what they did. Stunning outfit. The entire ensemble seems so well thought out in how you incorporated each element. As usual, you're wearing killer shoes. Love that!

Sheila, I know - wondered if anyone would pick up on that! NR is a store I'd never go in for myself - think of it as boxy, ultra-conservative "old" clothing I am very happy not to have to wear. This was a surprise!

You look fantastic and I adore the shoes .. but more than that, it's always wonderful to read gratitude posts. I think it's so important. One of my first blogs was named 'grateful heart' and I used to write five items daily that I was/am grateful for ... you really start to take notice of things in your life and start being more grateful and aware.

Your grey ruched dress with scarf and jewelry looks especially beautiful today, knowing that you dressed for an important good-bye. Thank you for the reminder about the importance of gratitude and how it increases not only the happiness of the recipient of the such expression, but the giver as well. I'm happy to hear that you're healthy today, and wearing those fabulous celebratory shoes.

I love your grey dress, almost as much as I love the sentiment in this post. I've struggled with pretty severe anxiety all my life. It's taken nearly 22 years, but what a feeling to finally have people willing to accept my anxiety and help me overcome it. I feel incredulous that people finally *believe* me, and care enough to help. I know people in the US don't like low-income health care, but without it I wouldn't receive help. I thank everyone I can at every opportunity.

Your ruched dress is of course amazin' and awe-inspirin' and those shoes...wow. Needless to say if it weren't for style bloggers I would have no idea shoes like that existed in the world. I love y'all, have I mentioned that I love y'all?

Amber, I can't help but think that you've likely made such a difference in many peoples' lives, too. But you're right, when I think about all the people who've, as Sheila said above, put up with me and my general state of OCD squirreliness, or just helped me through experiences I didn't know how to navigate myself, I hope I'm better at saying thank you than I was when I was younger and took so much more for granted.

Though not in the habit of speaking for others, I can safely say that the love is entirely mutual! For me on the style front, being able to see all shapes and sizes of women dress their particular bodies beautifully has helped in ways I couldn't have imagined on my own.

And man, I cringe at how much I used to take for granted, and think it is so lucky that we have the capacity to learn to do differently!

You look rather sphynxy to me in this, a She-Ra - or perhaps a phoenix given the context. The grey is strong, granite, forged, wonderful! I am so glad you tower now in those fantastic platform shoes, no less. I know what you mean about unsung heroes. Their little touches make such a difference in our lives. Thanks for drawing attention to them. I can feel your honour to them in your words.

Amber, thanks so much for the love.As a medical professional, I can say first hand that it's so appreciated when we get a sincere 'thank you' or when our hard work and/or kindness is acknowledged.All the tucks, gathers and pleats make that dress look very interesting. I'm really drawn to those details. I always have to take a closer look to see how the maker/manufacturer got it that way. And you just can't go wrong with gray; less serious than black, but just as sophisticated.